The Legend of Jack Skellington
by jynecatd
Summary: Jack Skellington wasn't always the Pumpkin King. This is the story of how he came to Halloween Town and rose through the ranks there. Disclaimer: I do not own Nightmare before Christmas. Rated T just in case.
1. Prologue

Harry John Reeves was a good boy. He was friendly, polite, kind, and clever. He got good grades in school. He always meant well.

Which made it all the more sad when he died.

His mother was driving him back from baseball practice when a drunk driver slammed into their car. Mrs. Reeves broke two ribs but was otherwise okay. Harry's neck snapped. He died instantly. He was eight at the time.

At his funeral, the minister talked about how little Harry would "live forever in our hearts."

Which was partly true. Of course, it can't be called living when you're dead, per se. Harry wasn't quite dead, but he wasn't exactly alive. But Harry would be in the hearts of people around the world, though the thought of him wouldn't fill people's hearts with sadness at his death. It would fill their hearts with fear.

* * *

><p>When most people die, their spirits simply fly apart. They can't hold them together.<p>

But Harry had always been strong-minded. He was able to keep himself mostly in one piece. His spirit felt a strong pull towards one specific place, and he was pulled that way so fast, if he were living he would have certainly gotten whiplash.

When Harry landed in a pumpkin patch, he was a skeleton. And he had no recollection of who he was.

* * *

><p>"What's my name?" he said out loud. "Something with an H? Harvey? Harold? Henry? No. Maybe not H. Well, then, J, maybe? Jerry, Joe, Jimmy, Jack?" He paused. "Jack… yes. That's it." He looked down at himself and laughed.<p>

"Well, that's funny. I'm a skullington." He stopped. "No, that's not the word. Skellington, that's it. I'm Jack the Skellington. And I'm in a pumpkin patch. How strange."

But these feelings, derived from his human life, left him quickly, so that all he was left with was the name he had come up with for himself in the pumpkin patch. Jack Skellington.

And in the pumpkin patch he stayed, for many years.


	2. Into Town

To those unused to it, Halloween Town was nothing if not intimidating.

Corpses roamed the streets during the day. Most were really quite kind, but the slightly maniacal glints in their eyes had caused many a young ghoul to dive into a side alleyway on seeing them. At night, though, Oogie Boogie's henchmen were out, enforcing curfew and even going so far as to beat people they found out after dark. The buildings, like most of the inhabitants, were ramshackle on the outside but cozy on the inside—if hanging spiders and bats were the type of decor you liked.

Jack Skellington had grown up quickly since he'd landed in the pumpkin patch. He was now at least seven feet tall. He dressed in ragged clothing he'd found while roaming the pumpkin patch and the nearby graveyard. He'd seen the town from afar, but had never ventured in.

But today was the day.

Jack straightened his collar, wiped off his jean overalls, and smiled at himself in a mirrored tombstone.

"I look good," he said.

One last check to make sure everything was in order, and he was off, striding on his long legs through the graveyard up to the town gate. He pushed it open as it protested, squeaking. The inhabitants of Halloween Town didn't know Jack was there, but they'd felt something, a sinister spirit on that side of the gate, that had kept them away.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw something small run into a side alley. A mouse? Probably.

As he wandered the streets, something became apparent. No one was home.

"Hello?" he called. "Anyone here?"

Nothing except the gurgling of a fountain.

Jack sat down on the edge of it. Of course he picked the one time that no one was even there. He kicked a pebbled despondently.

Then, Jack heard a sound in the alley. A sound much bigger than the one a little stone would make.

Monsters emerged from the streets leading into the town square, surrounding him, hemming him in.

"Well, well, well," a booming voice said.

A giant green sack walked out from the crowd and right up to Jack. Jack leaned back as the creature leaned over him. "What have we here?"

Jack cleared his throat nervously. "Jack… Jack Skellington."

"And where'd you come from, Jack Skellington?" he said.

"The pumpkin patch."

"Oh-ho!" he boomed, making Jack jump with fright. "So you're the reason no one goes there anymore. What'd you do, boy? Scare 'em off? Did ya scream and send 'em running?"

"I never did—"

"Well, listen here, boy," said the sack man. "You may be king of your little pumpkin patch, but I'm the king of this whole durn town! Mister Oogie Boogie, King of Halloween!" He poked Jack in his ribs. "I'm more than happy to have another citizen, but you'll have to get someone to fill you in on the rules. This is a happy town! So long as you don't go causing trouble. I don't like troublemakers."

Jack stared Oogie Boogie straight in the eye. "I'm not planning to make trouble."

Oogie Boogie held his gaze. "You better not be."

* * *

><p><strong>Did you guys catch the "Well, well, well, what have we here?" as being part of Oogie Boogie's song in the movie?<strong>


	3. The New Skeleton in Town

"He's dreamy. And so good at scaring. You never know, one day he might even replace the mayor!"

"Marce," said the rag doll, rolling her eyes. "How many times has the mayor been replaced?"

"Well, you never know," said the witch. "Would you help me if I decided to move to the pumpkin patch?"

"Marce!"

"What? I can do what I want."

"But that's just pushy."

"I'll tell him I'm just moving out for the country air."

"The country air?"

"Forget it, Shelley," Marcy said. "Oh! Dr. Finklestein! Is my potion ready?"

"What potion are you getting?" Shelley asked, feigning interest.

"A love potion," Marcy said, batting her bulging eyes.

"Marcy!"

She took the potion from the wheelchair-bound doctor. "Thanks, Dr. Finklestein!"

"Marcy, how are you even going to get him to drink it?"

"I'll find a way!" she said, waltzing out the door.

Shelley laughed at her friend's ridiculous crush on the skeletal man who seemed to have stolen the hearts of all the town women.

Of course, she hadn't even seen him.

It was less than a week until Halloween, the only night without a strict curfew. Of course, she'd heard that the meaner of Oogie Boogie's men were known to club people even on that night, but even they took the night off.

"Doctor?" she called.

"What? For goodness sake's, Shelley, come up here so I can here you."

Shelley walked up the spiraling ramp. "I was wondering if I could go out of Halloween night."

"Ha!" the doctor laughed, dropping whatever scientific tool he was using. He wheeled his chair towards her. "Shelley, how many times must I tell you? You're too young for all this excitement."

"I am _not_," she said. "Please. Just let me watch them come back. Let me watch the awards."

He tilted his head to the side, considering. "Well… perhaps you could watch from a window."

Shelley considered arguing, but then decided not too. At least that was better than most years.

* * *

><p><strong>Just so you all understand that I didn't just mess up Sally's name, Shelley is a character I made up who was one of Dr. Finklestein's earlier creations. But her personality is very similar to Sally's!<strong>


	4. Halloween Night

"So, the purpose is to simply scare as many human people as we can find?" Jack asked.

Hyde nodded. "And don't screw up, or Oogie Boogie will be mad."

_Oogie Boogie again_, thought Jack. Out loud, he said, "What's the big deal about Oogie Boogie? I get that he's the king, but is he really that awful?"

Hyde looked around. "Yes. Let's not talk about this."

"People of Halloween Town!" shouted Oogie Boogie. "Let's make this Halloween our best yet!"

Everyone cheered, and then, one by one, tossed small glass items on the ground. They smashed and a swirling vortex whirled out of them. The monsters stepped into them and disappeared.

Jack turned to Hyde, but he had already gone. Luckily, Jack had already been given several small glass pumpkins. He smashed it on the ground and stepped into the vortex that ensued.

He came stumbling out onto dark, wet grass, feeling a little sick. He heard children's voices laughing and saw bright flashlights. Then, he heard voices coming towards him.

_Scare as many human people as we can find. _Okay.

Jack crept behind a bush. Then he crouched low to the ground and, staying in the shadows, slid slowly towards the oblivious teenagers. He reached out and grabbed one's arm.

She screamed. "What, Em?" said the boy next to her.

"Something… something grabbed my wrist!"

"Aw, Em, you scaredy-cat," teased another boy.

"I'm serious!"

Jack slowly stretched his hand in front of them. One of the boys looked down. "Oh, my god, there's a freaking skeleton!"

"It's not a skeleton, stupid, it's just a dumb decoration."

Jack reached towards them suddenly, and they all jumped back. The first girl whimpered. Jack moaned and grabbed the first boy's leg. He screamed. Jack released him immediately.

"Come on!" said a girl. "Let's go across the street."

They all ran.

Jack sat up, laughing. "You know," he said to himself, "This scaring business is even more fun than I'd thought."


End file.
